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[note_atem]

It had been five years since Atem was granted his own body and his own life in your time. It had been four years since something you couldn't quite place happened between you two. After some big event in both your lives- he'd looked at you differently. The problem was you hadn't understood it. Slowly you realized you'd spurned that look from him-

Comments

What a pleasant surprise! It's nice to see you! :D

[note_atem]

Even gallivanting around with the part of society that he had been, it hadn't dulled his senses as much as anyone like to think. He noticed that greeting but wasn't sure what to do about it, or what he could do. So he just accepted it for what it was. It hadn't been like his was the warmest, either. He just gave a nod towards it.

His stance shifted, a hand resting lightly on his left hip. Such an easy thing to fall into. "Alright, for the most part." Here and there, tired from tournaments and who knew what else. But he doubted Lelouch wanted to hear about any of it so it was spared.

"What about you?" Such light conversation. It still pained him but he showed none of it. He had supposedly moved on since then.

<3 <3 How have you been?

[note_atem]

A small smile came to his lips, but he didn't look away. It's not like he was ashamed. He had no reason to be, and no one seemed to think otherwise (perhaps for die-hard critics but you can't please everyone he's learned). But he was careful and deliberate in his actions. There was no reason to get Lelouch upset or worried if anything was unhappy in his life.

The truth was it was all sort of hollow. Filling the void just the way he probably wasn't supposed to. With flings and other dangerous trouble.

He was glad to latch onto something else, even if the topic didn't sound so pleasant. A small nod. "I'd read about it, yes." A soft look came to his eyes. "Any reason?" Perhaps a more personal question; he'd see what the reaction was to that. It was how he liked to measure just how far they were drifting.

More or less the same XD

[note_atem]

Another quiet shift in his stance as he listened. This one favored Lelouch, his body positioned openly towards the other. The man always had his full attention, even as they had drifted. This was important, it was obvious. Breaking off marriage probably hurt. Even in his wandering ways he was always largely available, even after what had happened.

A quiet nod of understanding, to the first part or the second it was unsure. "Well it makes sense. You're newly single." A small and very soft joke, nothing malicious about it. His smile probably proved as such, along with his slightly tipped head. "I'm sure you have others waiting for you." Lelouch was a prince after all, and a handsome, intelligent one at that. There must have been lines all the way around the city.

[note_atem]

Atem was suddenly grateful for his gaming experience. It had left a lot in him that was good for social interaction, like a very good poker face. Hearing something like that was too encouraging for him to handle. But he knew Lelouch was choosy about everything he said, everything had meaning. And something like that...

Inwardly he felt stuck. Would jumping on a statement like that seem too desperate? After what he'd done, the life he was leading, why would he even really deserve the prince? He probably didn't.

So perhaps more of a game was necessary. "You never know." He certainly didn't want Lelouch to be sad. That smile was painful enough that he had to direct his attention and stare just off center of it all.

[note_atem]

His attention was immediately drawn back. How could it not be? Even with the closeness, it was more that Lelouch's presence always commanded attention. His eyes raised to the other man's, drinking in the words that were being spoken to him. To keep playing?

Something twisted deep in his chest and he looked away again. Sour regret burned. "I think I was in the opinion for a long time that after the way I've been acting you'd especially not want anything to do with me." Even if the first time was... apparently a misunderstanding. That burned just as much- his own stupidity for not realizing that sooner. For not sticking by.

[note_atem]

A sort of bittersweet smile touched upon his lips as his attention was redirected. It was too much for a poker face now, and he didn't really even need one. They were both outed, speaking in plain terms. There was no point in hiding anything anymore.

"I always thought the meetings were more for my benefit. You were always too strong to need that sort of thing." A compliment, even if that theory had slightly turned on its side now. He felt his skin grow warm where Lelouch's fingers were brushing against.

"...is that right?" A quiet echo of the other's words; some sort of childish double checking. He was afraid he was going to get his hand burnt, metaphorically speaking. But it wasn't like him to rush away, so he'd stay, stand and face this- even if it was a cautious acceptance. The thing about having flings and ending things early was that you didn't have a chance to get hurt. Not that it really excused his behavior all this time.

[note_atem]

Sometimes his shorter height was a curse, as much as he liked to ignore it. He still would always stand tall and proud because he was and he had no reason not to be. Right now, though, despite not liking being shorter in this particular moment, it helped him to see that incoming. It seemed like it would give him enough time to prepare for what was coming.

And yet when he was in that moment, he almost felt surprised. A part of him felt relieved. Some darker part of him felt completely unworthy. It took him a moment of stalling and awkwardness (who'd have thought with the way he was?) to lean slightly upwards to return the kiss.

But soft, gentle. This wasn't a fling, Lelouch wasn't a person he was interested in having a one night stand with. It was either all or nothing. Another daunting prospect of it all. His hand reached up to cover the one on his cheek as he felt that telltale dusting of pink grow brighter. Oh well.

[note_atem]

In an instance like this he would have almost been too happy to let his mind idle out. Unfortunately it was half-in and half-out. There was a lot going on in the background, just little things questioning or processing. But his attention was really solely on the kiss. Had this been what he imagined kissing Lelouch to be like? It was nice...

When the other moved away he was visibly reluctant to, and once he realized he was still leaning up for more he felt a little embarrassed. So he leaned back more than he would have. He could feel the pounding in his chest; worse, the heat in his cheeks. He probably looked foolish.

"You're not." He agreed, which after doing so he wondered what that meant Lelouch thought of him, of his actions all these years. "You..." Was it right? Should he? Atem decided to go for it, what more could he lose?

"You don't have to be alone anymore."